East of Eden, and maybe East of Hades too.

I apologize for the recent lack of posts! I have been missing inspiration in my life since finals. This has been the worst academic semester of my life! I went from all As last semester to maybe A, B. C (in that order) this semester. Yikes! Well, as the saying goes, "As are great but Cs get degrees!" I'll still graduate with WELL above a 3.0 and that's what matters!

Besides, clinical depression is a major killer to motivation. Now that I'm getting all nice and medicated, I should be fighting fit for next semester.. which begins in Spanish in a couple weeks! Uh oh! At least I'll have my wonderful husband with me along for the ride. I love taking classes with Daniel - it brightens my day and we get to study together. Ugh, he's so perfect sometimes. I'm a stupid gushing idiot! I secretly hate 90% of other couples who are gaga over each other.. so ungrounded in reality, I think! But in private, I gush over my husband as well. C'est la vie!

Before finals, I finished East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Which reminds me, yikes, it's due at the Cleveland library! Bah. I knew going to the library was a bad idea. I just want to steal all the books and never give them back. I'm truly a book fiend.




Reading is sexy!










Anyway, so I loved East of Eden, even more than I loved the other books of his that I read, Grapes of Wrath which I read in my grandmother's house (she has her own library room! I only dream of having an entire room for a library!) over Christmas break in two days, and Of Mice and Men which I read in thirty minutes. (It's a basically a long pamphlet)

This book was a bit heftier than the aforementioned ones, so it took me a few days to read it. But I literally couldn't stop reading, and I never wanted the book to end.

So, no spoilers, but here's an overview of the book ... if you're the type like me who doesn't even want your story ruined by even the back cover or inside flap, then stop reading NOW!

The portrait of Salinas valley was indescribable. Due to my views on hippies, working, and politics, I've never been that big of a fan of California. Well, John Steinbeck showed me that yes, God has a use for EVERY piece of land in the United States!




















I can't imagine golden fields or wildflower meadows or dazzling sunsets like Steinbeck described. I can only hope one day to visit, and maybe take a gander at the world that he loved so dearly.

More descriptive and entrancing than his setting, however, were the characters. For me, it is the description, actions, and dialogue of the characters that make or break a book for me. I love entering the mind of a fictional character and living through their actions. Well, Steinbeck didn't disappoint.

There were many characters - Adam, Charles, Cathy, Aron, Cal, Lee, and the whole Hamilton family (based on Steinbeck's maternal grandparents and their children) and the whole lot of them were dazzling.

The main plots centered around Adam and Charles, and then Aron and Cal, Adam's sons, and how their stories relate to the Biblical story of Cain and Abel.

(As a side note, this reminds me of the song "Jenny Says" by Cowboy Mouth. There's a line in the song, "My name is Cain and I am now unable..." Get it?! I laughed and laughed when I heard that line, and Daniel thought I was crazy)

Cathy is representative of Satan. She is the most evil character I have read about in the Bible (other than maybe Satan himself) or in any Shakespeare play. I don't think any movie director could match the evil that Cathy seemed to represent. I found myself continually surprised by her, and amazed at Steinbeck's description of her.

Another interesting aspect of the book is the discussion of the Bible verse where God tells Cain his sin will rule over him. Upon inspection of the Hebrew word, "Timshel" actually means "thou mayest." Which could allude to forgiveness (even in Genesis, before Jesus Christ!) and the ability for mankind to fight his natural evil nature. Steinbeck gave the ultimate argument for good vs. evil, albeit in a roundabout way.

You can read the full Timshel book excerpt here. But here's a quote to get you to go to the link:

Adam said, “I don’t see how you could cook and raise the boys and take care of me and still do all this.”

“Neither do I,” said Lee. “But I take my two pipes in the afternoon, no more and no less, like the elders. And I feel that I am a man. And I feel that a man is a very important thing—maybe more important than a star. This is not theology. I have no bent toward gods. But I have a new love for that glittering instrument, the human soul. It is a lovely and unique thing in the universe. It is always attacked and never destroyed— because ‘Thou mayest.’

Anyway, I won't ramble on any longer about how amazing the book is. Just read it!

Over, off, & out,
Jennifer

Picnic in the Sun

Sometimes even two fantastic chefs like me and Daniel get tired of cooking. So last night after Daniel got back from class, we ran off to Fletcher Park to have a picnic. It was perfect weather... a gentle breeze, warm sun but not too hot, and not a lot of bugs either.
















Our picnic was what Rachael Ray likes to call a "square meal." We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, an apple, a carrot, a few whole grain crackers, a little Babybel cheese (we are OBSESSED with Babybel cheese) Dole's Paradise juice, and a cake! Yum.

We were going to play Frisbee but it ended up getting too chilly to play toward the end of our picnic.

Finals week looms upon us - Daniel and I are feeling the crunch! I have to do a large enterprise piece, have one final exam, have to finish a large resume/job portfolio, and finish up Phase 5 of a research experiment. Yum yum! And this is just between three classes!

Soon, I need to: change my last name on my driver's license (it's been almost a year and I still haven't done it, haha) and sign up for Spanish classes at Cleveland State.

This summer, I need to prepare for being a bridesmaid in my friend Stephanie's wedding (congratulations Stephanie!) and possibly move from our nasty, mold/mildew-ridden old apartment (I just found out I'm wildly allergic to mold and mildew) and get a new job. I will still maybe be working for Phil & Kendra, too... so depending on how pressing that is, will depend on how many hours I can work at my new job.

Also, a trip to Pennsylvania for my friend Greg & Megan's wedding in June, and then in July a week long vacation to Virginia with a bunch of friends.

Then my friends Jordan and Katherine are getting married next month in Knoxville. Jordan and I went on Lee's prestigious Cambridge trip together. I went right after I was engaged - I think it's really important to know who YOU are as a person before you even begin to think about who you might be with another person forever. Three months away from Daniel did wonders for our relationship and for my sense of self. I recommend separation (not breaking up!) for all couples who are seriously considering marriage. It's not about whether you can live with them, but whether or not you can live without them.

Next month is also my birthday, my 21st. I'm not much for alcohol but I wouldn't mind sipping a fruity drink on a beach somewhere. I wish Daniel and I had all the money in the world we needed to fulfill my travel fantasies.

Over, off, and out.... enjoy some PB&J today. You're never too old!



Peanut... peanut butter.... (and jelly)

Mind your own business!

Dear God, hey, sorry, it's me again.

Thank you for all the gifts that you continually bless me with whether or not I appreciate them. I know, I know. I'm working on it.

Please help me keep my thoughts to myself... but I also pray that you will keep people I care about from making stupid life decisions!

God, with the blessing of discernment, I ask also for the blessing of self control!

Thanks, The ever flawed Jennifer Martin
---------------------------------------------

Tomorrow I am attending the Mary Ellen Locher Foundation "Inspire" Luncheon. Expect pictures from that.

I think I failed to mention that I am an intern for Phil Stacey right now - another one of God's blessings. I didn't bury my talent in the ground and now it is prospering! Praise the Lord! Well, he's going to be singing at the luncheon tomorrow. I may even get to pick him up from the airport. It'll be a fun, wonderful day.

Today, Daniel did all the laundry even though it's not his job. He is a sweetheart. He also went into work. Bless his little peapicker!

I steam cleaned the rug and our couch THOROUGHLY and sprayed everything with anti-allergen spray. I have terrible allergies and pollen is just soaring through the air right now and into my nostrils, plus my cat (how terrible for a cat lover to be allergic to cats!) seems to shed more and more each year.

More work tomorrow: bathroom and my room. If there's time, of course.

Oy vey! That phrase seems to describe my life right now. I dated someone who was Jewish in high school, and he only said that phrase every now and then. I think I'm going to start saying it all the time. Maybe whenever someone tells me something ridiculously moronic, instead of giving my immediate opinion, I will say "Oy vey!" And then chew it over with Twix! And escape...







Over, off, and out....
Jennifer

Insomnia much?

Thanks to side effects from some of my many medications, I have developed fairly bad insomnia over the past few months. Since it's Friday night, it's not so bad. But during the week it can get in the way of my normal routine.

I've always wanted to be one of those people who gets up at like 5:30 or 6 AM and goes to bed at 9:30 or 10. But every time I try, I can't fall asleep and then when the alarm chimes its "merry" tune at me before the sun is even shining, I cannot justify being awake. I sleep until the very last minute and sometimes after that. And then, throughout the day, it is as if I'm not there completely. Edward Norton's anonymous, infamous character from Fight Club put it best:

When you have insomnia, you're never really asleep, and you're never really awake.

With insomnia, nothing is real. Everything is far away. Everything is a copy of a copy of a copy.

This is what it's turning out to be, in my mind. Of course, I have a flair for the dramatic and I may be exaggerating this, even in my own mind. I just have that kind of tendency, I guess.

I think about how much I let things affect me. Minor arguments wound me. Rude judgments pierce me. Side glances, condescension, pretension in general - whether imagined or not - cut me to the core and leave me unsure and angry. I'm very, very sensitive, and I really hate to admit it. People see emotion as such a weakness these days. Maybe they're all wrong.

I was also thinking today how glad I am that my parents introduced me to so many different types of movies, books, music, and other types of media. They rarely explicitly said, "You can't watch/do this." Now I would be banned from watching/doing things when I had gotten in trouble, but I was never.... censored, so to speak. I didn't go crazy as a result. I got to watch MTV and I thought it was horrendous.

I learned to watch movies from a Christian perspective - what I mean is, I would be able to take away something valuable from a movie no matter what it was. I developed a (very) critical eye toward all types of media.

"Garbage in, garbage out!" The James Dobsons of the world will protest. Well, how much credit are you giving your child then? If you read the Bible, and if your parents teach you wrong from right, at a certain age - you have to live and let go, right? I'm glad my parents deemed me intelligent enough to tell what's "wrong" with a movie or book (cursing, violence, nudity, etc) and what's "right" (love, forgiveness, philosophy, intellectual stimulation, relationships, good ol' entertainment). Thanks mom and dad for never "banning" me from anything and letting me make decisions for myself - I don't watch crap TV now, I read all the time, and I find something valuable in EVERY movie decision I make. And I listen to almost EVERY type of music!

I don't think I would be one of those crazy people who lets their kid watch/do/read/listen to WHATEVER they want, but I will educate my children - I think education and discretion is a much better defense than out and out censorship. At least, when these awfully sheltered kids come to college and then go crazy - and I see this happen over, and over, and over again - that is what I've come to believe.

I'll try to go to sleep, now, maybe.

Signing off and out,
Jennifer

Crock Pot Island Pork

Today was a good day. Daniel got off of work early and we went to see State of Play with my Uncle Terry who is in town and my parents. It was a good movie and I really recommend it - very intense and NOT predictable! Russell Crowe is a good actor even if he is a complete jerk in real life. Best of all, there was lots of journalism in the movie, which I looove. If only I was as good at reporting as I was about writing and talking about myself all the time.

So anyway, we came home to a wonderful, warmed pork roast that Daniel made in the crock pot on his lunch break. He made it after he had gone to a crock pot cooking class at the church his mom works at. But of course, he changed the recipe a bit... and here's the end result, a perfectly tender and delicious carved up pork roast. Here's the recipe:

2 pork tenderloins (we only used one since it's just us, and we used a Boston pork roast instead - you could really use any cut of pork or chicken)

2 tbs. olive oil

Spice Rub:
Salt & pepper
1 tsp all spice
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme


Stuffing (optional)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic

Glaze
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tbs. minced garlic
1 tsp tabasco (we used local Cleveland, TN brand Kahn's Island hot sauce - recommended)
1/2 cup orange juice

Directions

• Cut slit in middle of roast, stuff cloves and thyme sprigs (optional)
• Mix spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl and rub into pork tenderloin(s.)
• Heat oil in large skillet, brown spiced tenderloin on all sides, about 5-8 minutes. (we actually skipped this step and everything turned out fine)
  
• In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients. Place meat in the bottom of the crock pot. Cover with glaze.
• Either cook on high 2-4 hours or on low 6-8 hours. Enjoy!

(Adapted from Amanda Varnell's recipe)

Daniel enjoyed his pork roast with a baked potato, stuffed with one of the roasted garlic cloves and cheese. Because potatoes are my LEAST favorite food - I know, weird, right? - Daniel doesn't often get to eat them. But my parents were kind enough to bring him some to work, just for him!

On Sunday I may try another crock pot recipe - a dessert. ^_^ I love desserts, I have a major sweet tooth and I think fake sweeteners are of the devil and I've never had a cavity and I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with sugar! It should stop being grouped with "fat" on the food pyramid! It should go down another notch, at least.

I also love garlic.... I mean, LOVE it. Last night I made garlic bread with FIVE cloves of garlic and I could smell it on my body for hours afterward. Mmm. There's still a roasted clove of garlic that was stuffed in the pork tenderloin that I need to find something to put on that isn't a potato!

Signing out!

Jennifer

Jennifer's First Blog

Signing in, our first post. This is Jennifer. Both Daniel and I will be contributing to this blog, and we'll sign off with our names so you'll know who is who, though you should be able to tell the difference between our writing styles soon enough.

I've been suffering with severe clinical depression lately, and it's taken a toll on my life. Most people tend to be ashamed of such a diagnosis, but I have come to accept it and am trying to work through it. Having a husband like Daniel is a great start.

This blog will probably consist of cooking adventures and recipes (something we both enjoy doing greatly) video game or online comic or music reviews (Daniel's cup of tea) or movie reviews or political rants (conservative - sorry, liberals) or book reviews. A general diary as well.

As I take a photography class next semester and work on it through summer, you'll see an increase in pictures too. Probably just the general musings of students and a little Spanish culture as Daniel and I take a Spanish class together this summer.

In addition, we'll discuss the future - our future - and what God has in store for us. We're both devoted Christians and will talk about Biblical issues and praise God in our posts as well - but not in an argumentative, preachy way. We don't think uppity argumentative Christians do much good for anyone.

Anyway, I hope you learn a lot about us - and maybe enjoy our chronicles of young newlywed students who are head over heels in love with each other.